Certain devices and components are constructed of metals which are formed from a single crystal structure. The crystal shape is formed from a repeated atomic cellular structure. Crystal cells can have different atomic configurations, such as simple cubic, body-centered cubic, face-centered cubic, and so on. The structure of the crystal cell determines certain mechanical properties of the metal, including its modulus of elasticity (Young's modulus) and fatigue strength, among others.
Moreover, even for a structure composed of a single crystal cell type, the mechanical properties can depend upon the direction of loading of the structure. As one example, a face-centered cubic metal structure experiencing a load positioned along an axis extending through the face-centered atoms will respond differently than the same structure when experiencing a load positioned off the same axis.
The overall shape of a component can be formed separately from its underlying crystal structure. Such an underlying crystal structure is referred to as its crystallographic orientation. A component's crystallographic orientation can be properly aligned with its specified shape, resulting in expected performance of the component. Under certain circumstances, however, the component can be formed with the crystallographic orientation situated differently than desired, or misaligned. Consequently, components formed from single-crystal structures can exhibit different mechanical properties when subjected to the same conditions. Preferably, components are constructed with a crystallographic orientation aligned to produce the most desirable mechanical properties of the component under its designed working position and conditions.
Because the performance of a component can depend on its crystallographic orientation, the crystallographic orientation of newly-formed components is often verified prior to installation or use. In this way, those components found to have a crystallographic orientation which will result in undesired performance of the component are identified prior to use. Such determination of crystallographic orientation is typically performed using x-ray crystallographic methods. Unfortunately, such techniques can be costly and time-consuming.